Manuscript Assessments vs. Structural Reports
What’s the difference between a manuscript assessment and a structural report?
In the world of publishing, there are many different levels of editing. Generally, a manuscript or book will go through at least three levels before publication: structural editing, copyediting, and proofreading. Today, I want to focus on structural editing or the ‘big picture’ editing.
This level of editing looks at story, structure, and style. It focuses on elements such as plot, pacing, themes, characters, dialogue, narration, and setting. The editor will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of your manuscript and provide clear, actionable feedback.
At Rafaela Novelli Editing Services, the two main services we provide at this level are manuscript assessments and structural reports. There can be a lot of overlap between these services, so what is the difference?
Manuscript Assessments
This is a report that includes actionable advice on how to better your manuscript or writing project. A manuscript assessment will often include advice on:
Style, voice, and tone
Dialogue and narration
Plot, structure, and pacing
Characters, setting, and themes
Manuscript assessments are also known as manuscript or story reports, reviews, critiques, and appraisals. They vary in length depending on the manuscript and the author’s needs. A manuscript assessment is a great resource to see where your work is coming across effectively and where it can be improved.
Structural Reports
A structural report focuses on the same big picture elements as a manuscript assessment but in more depth. They include a similar report to the manuscript assessment with the addition of a mark-up of the manuscript or detailed table which lists page numbers and comments.
Structural reports are also known as structural edits, substantive edits, or developmental edits. Again, these will vary in length depending on the manuscript and the author’s needs but will be more detailed than a manuscript assessment. Structural reports are great for getting detailed, clear, and specific suggestions for how your manuscript can be improved.
As you can see, there is some overlap between manuscript assessments and structural reports. How they are approached can also differ between editors. When searching for an editor, my best advice is to make sure they outline exactly what you can expect for the quoted price.
Below are a few helpful questions you can ask your editor:
What will the manuscript assessment or structural report cover?
Roughly how long will the report be?
Will this include a mark-up of the manuscript and/or a table with page numbers and in-depth comments?
How long will it take? What is the turn-around?
Do you offer a sample edit or examples of your work?
What is the price?
What the editor will often ask you before quoting:
What is the word count and genre?
Is it a standalone book or part of a series?
What is your deadline or expected timeframe for the edit?
What are your publishing goals? Do you intend to self-publish or submit to agents/publishers?
What type of editing you would like?
What draft you are on? Have you had the manuscript edited before?
Are there any areas you would like the manuscript assessment or report to focus on (e.g. perhaps you know the ending isn’t quite working but are unsure how to fix it)?
How you would like to receive your feedback/report (e.g. Microsoft Word with Track Changes, Google Docs, ink on paper)?
Some points to note:
Manuscript assessments and structural reports will often ask the author to rewrite, cut, add, or restructure sections of the manuscript. Therefore, they are completed before any copyediting or proofreading. There is no point in spending the money and time editing sentences that may change.
Your editor can also help you situate your book in the marketplace. They can pinpoint the genre and style of your manuscript which will help when pitching to agents, publishers, or self-publishing.
As an author, you know your story inside and out but can often be too close to be able to effectively edit at the structural level. Hiring an editor for a manuscript assessment or structural report will ensure your work gets the necessary objectivity and expertise to help your message or story come across clearly and effectively. The editor’s goal is not to rewrite your work but to help refine your unique voice, style, and story so that it can be its best version.
If you have a manuscript ready for this level of editing or would like to discuss structural reports and manuscript assessments, contact Rafaela Novelli Editing Services.
